7 plus 7 equals 3
by m o o g l e d a i m e
Summary: // h a c h i ო t a k u m i // Hachi is pregnant and Shin doesn't want Takumi to be his papa — Nana absolutely agrees with him. . . Watch out, Takumi!
1. Different Beginnings

**Disclaimer:**  
I don't own NANA or any of the characters featured in this fanfic.

**Notes:**  
**- ALTERNATE UNIVERSE **(will diverge from the original storyline) You will find familiar elements and some re-written facts/happenings, but it will have its own storyline. (This is my way of changing things more to my liking)  
- Will contain **SOME manga SPOILERS** up to volume 7  
- If I got some facts wrong, it's because I did it on purpose or I misread it in the manga. XD  
- Main pairing(s): Yasu x **Hachi x Takumi**, **Ren x Nana**, Nana x Hachi (friendship), Hachi x Shin (late manga-ish motherly)  
- I have nothing against Nobu x Hachi or Nobu in particular, but I just find Takumi x Hachi really cute, even if I sometimes find myself hating Takumi. (But I also love Takumi! Arg!)  
- Rated for some language.  
- Komatsu Nana will be normally referred to as Hachi or Hachiko, except by Takumi (Junko and Kyousuke) who always call her Nana, and by Yasu who switches from Nana and Nana-chan to avoid confusion. (And that's how I got used to in the manga I read)

**Summary:**  
What if Hachi never hooked up with Nobu while she was Takumi's girlfriend? Now, she finds herself pregnant with Takumi's child. What are you gonna do, Hachi? Help her, Yasu! No wait… Shin to the rescue..? Shin doesn't want Takumi to be his papa.

**--7♥8--**

_Takumi… I want to see you!_

Wasn't that what she said to him before? He even arranged for them to meet immediately and what did he get?

_The number you are calling does not accept masked numbers. Please dial…_

His left brow twitched as he disconnected the call and stalked towards the one person whom he hoped knew what the fuck was going on.

The door slammed loudly against the wall upon his entrance. "SHE'S REFUSING CALLS FROM MASKED NUMBERS NOW, WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN?"

Ren continued to read his precious manga and ignored Takumi's outburst. Their band leader didn't mention him by name so he wasn't obligated to answer his question, right?

"-I hate you, Takumi!-" Reira answered in a sing-song voice from above Ren's shoulder. She didn't bother to turn around and therefore missed the vein popping on his forehead. "Turn the page, Ren." she instructed, before she plucked the manga out of his hands and turned the page herself, too impatient to wait for Ren to finish reading the current page. He was such a slow reader.

"Well!" Now that Ren could no longer hide behind his manga, Takumi took the opportunity to shout directly at his face as he sat down beside Naoki.

"All you have to do is unmask your number and you'll be able to talk to her," Naoki pointed out the obvious, directing Takumi's wrath on him. "… Or not?" Takumi's glare of doom with matching lightning against the background was scary.

"That'd just complicate things more," he grumbled. If he unmasked his number and still refused his calls, his battered ego would suffer even more. "Well, Ren! What do you think? Has your girlfriend mentioned anything to you?" It was a sneaky tactic, even by his standards, but he didn't have any other idea of how to get information on Nana.

"_Ne Ren," Nana turned to him as they smoked in bed, "I think there's something wrong with Hachi. She's been looking kinda sick lately and she even lost weight. She hasn't said anything to me yet, but I'm worried. Maybe she's taking her breakup with Takumi a little harder than I originally thought."_

A proverbial light-bulb lit somewhere on top of Ren's head. "Ah! Nana did mention that Hachi's been looking kinda sick lately… maybe that's it."

"She's sick?"

Ren nodded. "And didn't you guys break up already? Why do you need to call her?"

Takumi lit a cigarette and took a puff before answering, "We didn't break up. She was the one who got mad at me and hung up. Now she won't take my calls. I think she just needs time to cool off."

Ren winced in remembrance. "Any girl would get mad after you said those things." _You're so insensitive_, he wanted to say out loud but didn't dare to.

Takumi looked pensive. "If she's sick, she might not be in the mood to see me. Did your Nana say anything else?"

"_My_ Nana? Does that make Hachi _your_ Nana?" Takumi gave him a look that would have withered any ordinary man. "Ah…" Ren sweatdropped, "no, my Nana didn't say anything else. I could ask her the next time I see her, if you want. Or I could ask Hachi the next time I see her."

_Bah_, Takumi thought, _if she doesn't want to talk to me, fine. _He was going to be busy anyway… and it wasn't like he could go to her place until her guest leaves after the summer vacation…

**--7♥8--**

_Don't tell me, you're pregnant? If it's about such an annoying thing, give it up and don't tell me._

That was his request, wasn't it? He should tell that to the stick giving her a positive sign after she peed on it. So what purpose will it serve if she called and told him that "annoying thing" just came up right now?

After such an insensitive conversation, she didn't have the heart to date Nobu. Dating Nobu while on the rebound was bad. Doing anything on the rebound was bad. She had to break that habit of hers and she was starting now.

"Komatsu-san?"

What was she going to do now? She still had that three hundred thousand yen dowry her mother sent her, but that was for emergency reasons only. This classified as an emergency reason, but just how long would it last? Babies had expensive maintenance, didn't they? What about the actual birth? Was it going to be enough to take care of the hospital bills? After the baby was born, she wouldn't be able to work for a few months and if she did, someone had to take care of it.

What was she going to do?

And even before the birth, once her stomach becomes obvious, she wouldn't be able to work. She didn't think that she'd fit into the school girl outfit clothes or short skirts and tight shirts that she was required to wear in her various odd jobs.

Her head met with a hard surface as she banged it in frustration. "What am I going to do?"

"It's time to go home, Komatsu-san." Her co-worker answered, thinking that the question was directed at her.

Nana forced a small laugh as she changed into her regular clothes and bid her co-workers goodbye. Her feet automatically walked towards the train station as she made her way home.

Nobu's declaration of love made her really happy, and so did the kiss they shared afterwards, but in a totally uncharacteristic act, she decided not to take things further with him until she settled her feelings for Takumi. Yes, technically, she and Takumi were through, but the kind of innocent love that she and Nobu currently had was something that she wanted to treasure. If she jumped into bed with Nobu right after she broke up with Takumi, she wouldn't be able to forgive herself.

Besides, there was still that nagging thought in the back of her mind that she was only going after Nobu because Yasu suddenly seemed so very out of her league when it was revealed that he had formerly dated Reira. Why did she have to be the Queen of Falling In Love At First Sight?

Better yet, why did she have to be so stupid? How could she have made love… no, had three one-night stands with Takumi without using protection?

What was that idiot thinking anyway? He was famous, he should be thinking about preventing conception with the women that he fooled around with. Just how many bastard children did he have?

Ah… what to do? How many weeks has it been since she broke up with him yet she couldn't help but think about him, especially now. She and Nobu were still friends, but she would often find herself looking at Yasu instead of at Nobu during band practice. _Ugh, I'm such a despicable woman._

She continued to act like nothing was wrong throughout the summer vacation. Whenever someone commented on her sickly pallor, she blamed it on a summer cold. Misato, who was staying over for the summer vacation, caught her hunched over the toilet seat puking her guts out one time, and she told her it was just a summer cold. Her friends bought her lies; and her sickness gave her excuses not to go to their practice as much as she used to.

Going to Blast's band practice only made her think of more what ifs in her life, which wasn't healthy for her mental health right now. It was bad enough that her physical health was deteriorating every day. Damn morning sickness and sensitivity to odors!

So… what was she going to do now?

**--7♥8--**

His hand stilled from cracking the egg over his food as he stared at it. The curry reminded him of Nana. She was such a good cook. Maybe after the summer vacation, she would finally talk to him again. After the summer vacation, her guest would leave and he would be able to visit her.

"So you eat ordinary folk's food, after all!" Ren stifled a smile at the puzzled look his band mate gave him. Takumi had been so out of it lately. Nobody but him might have noticed it and he wouldn't have noticed it if not for the pieces of the puzzle that were available to him.

As Trapnest's band leader, Takumi's word was law to him and the others. He started the band and always looked out for the members' well-being (except maybe Naoki's). He lived and breathed Trapnest since highschool; whoever went against Takumi was of no use to Trapnest. When Ren first joined up with the band, he was a little hesitant, but he soon saw and understood the merit of Takumi's drive. They were friends; they went back to the days when they were in highschool. But even then, Ren held a certain amount of respect toward the guy. Takumi's business was Takumi's business; he didn't need to get involved in it.

He found himself asking anyway. "Is something wrong?" Not that he expected any answer from him. After all, he was Takumi. Takumi was perhaps the most private out of all of them. Nobody really knew what exactly the guy was thinking more than three-fourths of the time. They often joked about how huge a womanizer he was, but those were just jokes. None of Takumi's affairs were actually confirmed. In fact, ever since he joined Trapnest, the only woman he openly claimed to have slept with was Hachiko.

"Why is it that I hardly ever think about her, but as soon as I remember her, I miss her?"

To say that he was surprised was an understatement. In all the years he'd known Takumi, this was perhaps the most sincere conversation he's ever had with the guy.

Since a sincere question warranted a sincere answer, he replied, "That's because no matter what you tell yourself, the truth is that you're in love with her."

Takumi's mouth opened to form a rebuke, but words seemed to fail him. He shut it close and reflected that statement, not daring to look Ren in the eyes. He tried to think of a smart reply but none came to mind. "I can't wait for it to end!" A frustrated sigh conveyed more than any words could.

"What?"

He ate a spoonful of curry before he replied, "The summer vacation."

**--7♥8--**

It was getting harder and harder to fight the nausea everyday. Smells that didn't bother her before were suddenly making her guts churn. Everyday as the baby in her tummy grew, her symptoms worsened, making it harder for her to go to work. At this rate, she would have to dig in to her emergency cash fund earlier than she had anticipated.

How long was she going to be able to keep it a secret from everyone? When the hospital asked her if she wanted to abort the baby, she seriously thought about doing it. She had no money, she had no job and no father for the baby. What life could she possibly give her child?

Her last resort was to go back home and ask her parents to help raise it, but she didn't want to do that if she could help it. If possible, she wanted to stay in Apartment 707 with Nana for as long as she could. But was that even possible?

She wasn't a part of their band and her insecurities magnified that little voice in her head that loved telling her how the other members of Blast were just being kind to her because she was Nana's roommate. Even Ren was just being kind to her because she was friends with his girlfriend. She wasn't really a part of their world; she was merely a spectator.

_An outsider looking in._

It didn't really matter to her. Well… okay it did, but being an outsider from everybody else was nothing compared to fearing what Nana's reaction would be if she found out about the child. Would Nana look at her in disgust? Kick her out and never speak to her again?

Feeling like an outsider was nothing compared to Nana's potential shunning of their friendship. More than anything in this world, she wanted to stay by Nana's side. As long as Nana was on her side, everything was going to be okay.

She didn't even worry about telling Takumi anymore. Since he made it clear how he would react to her getting pregnant, it was a good thing that they broke up before he found out. If he finds out in the future, it doesn't matter anymore. All she wanted was to raise a healthy child in a happy environment, hopefully with Nana still on her side.

She could survive anything and take on anyone as long as Nana allowed her to remain by her side forever.

So what was she going to do? How was she going to tell Nana?

'Nana, I'm pregnant and it's Takumi's child.'

… No.

'Nana, I'm pregnant and even if the father doesn't want to do anything with it, I'm going to raise it by myself. I hope I can stay by your side forever while I do that. From now on, I'm going to do my best, okay?'

… Weird.

'Nana, I'm pregnant but I hope you'll still want to be my roommate and most of all, my friend!'

… ?

Even if she didn't tell anyone who the father of the child was, everyone who was aware of her affair with Takumi would be able to put two and two together. All she wanted was for Nana not to hate her.

How did one do these types of things anyway?

"Nana-chan, is something troubling you?" The glazed look in her eyes bothered him all throughout practice and he can't shake off a bad feeling in his stomach whenever he looked at her. Nobu seemed to be the only one who noticed aside from him, since Shin and Nana looked preoccupied with something.

Hachi blinked as she refocused her eyes to the bald man standing in front of her. He looked as imposing as ever, especially from her vantage point, sitting down. "Ah, n-no, it's nothing," she denied.

Shin earlier complained of a stomach ache and ran to the bathroom (to smoke), so Nana called a short break. As she and Nobu discussed how to improve a set of lyrics, Yasu stepped out from behind his drums and approached Nana-chan. "Are you sure?" Not one to force a person to do or say anything they didn't want to, Yasu patted her on the head affectionately.

Some of them (like Shin and Nana) might view Nana-chan as a pet dog of the band. Others (like Nobu) might think of her as the band mascot or muse. Be it a pet dog, mascot or muse, her purpose for all of them was the same: Nana-chan inspired them to do better.

People like Misato were special. They were under the fans slash friends category. People like Misato were what they lived for as artists. They were the fuel that gave life to the engine of their careers. Without fans, performers would be nothing.

Nana-chan was different. She was a fan, but she was in a category of her own. She wasn't Helen of Troy: a face which launched a thousand ships. She wasn't a deity of music that inspired them to make songs that were surely going to be a hit. She wasn't a sexy, bodacious babe who could set men's libido on fire.

She is that first drop of rain after years of drought. An oasis in the middle of the desert, a banquet for a starved man, a rainbow after it rains… Nana-chan is Nana-chan. There are no words enough to describe how Nana-chan is to them.

_It's like a young man first discovering love._

Wasn't that how Nana described it? Ren rephrased it to '_a young man discovering love for mochi_', but he was in agreement. Making Nana-chan smile was like an accomplishment. If he was graced with such a smile, it felt like a blessing. Seeing her face shine with happiness because he was able to light up a trivial little firework filled him with pride, almost like a parent to a child.

Taking care of Nana, Nobu, Shin, Ren and the other strays that always managed to find their way to him always came natural to him, even back in highschool; maybe that's the reason why he was picked to be class president. But taking care of Nana-chan… felt like taking care of a little baby. Ren and the others were siblings, but Nana-chan was like his daughter.

Was this how Junko felt?

He waited for her to speak, but she seemed really reluctant so he didn't push it. He gifted her with a gentle smile and an affectionate pat on the head, "If you need to talk, I'll listen, okay?"

Hachi's eyes were misty when she nodded.

**--7♥8--**

Apartment 707 wasn't the same without Nana around. Now that Misato had gone home, it was also more quiet than usual.

She was kind of worried about how her pregnancy was going. Weren't pregnant women supposed to gain weight? She didn't want to gain weight, but her fast weight loss was troubling her. Maybe it's because she was throwing up so much? Having little to no sleep at night as she thought about how to provide for her baby could be one of the factors, too.

She didn't really mind having only the bare minimum funds, as long as her child grew up safe and healthy, surrounded by loving friends.

Putting off telling them weighed heavily on her mind. What if Nana thought her to be the despicable woman that she was and told her she didn't want to be friends with her anymore? She felt like drowning herself in the river from just the thought of it, honestly.

_Ding Dong_

The doorbell rang, interrupting her thoughts. Hachi opened the door nervously and let her visitor in. "Thanks for coming on such short notice."

"No problem, Nana-chan," he replied. "Nana's not home?"

"She's staying with Ren while he's on his break. She's coming back in three days."

"Ah." The door closed softly behind him as he let himself in and walked over to his usual spot by the table beside the window. For some reason, he preferred sitting on the left side each time. He had an amazing view of the river even though it was somewhat hampered by the grills. He felt very relaxed whenever he sat in this spot.

Neither of them talked much for a few minutes. He was giving her space to tell him what was bothering her on her own pace. It must be serious if she was this nervous. She nervously served tea as she stalled for time. He patiently smoked his cigarette as the young lady seated across him gathered the courage to talk to him. She fidgeted in her seat before clearing her throat.

"I'm pregnant."

Oh god, she didn't want to just blurt it out like that.

His sunglasses hid the shock reflected in his eyes, but they didn't hide the slacking of his jaw as it fell to the ground. With it, the cigarette fell from his mouth, shaking him out of his surprise. He picked it up and quickly put it out on the nearby ashtray. "Ah! Sorry for smoking!" was all he could think of at the moment. It was a huge shock for him.

Hachi shook her head and shook her hands in front of her. "It's okay. I don't mind."

"I don't want the smoke to affect the baby," he stupidly replied. Somehow, his mouth wasn't speaking the words that his brain was thinking. His brain was thinking more on the lines of 'So _this_ was what was troubling her? Holy shit!'

"I'm sorry to blurt it out like that, Yasu. I'm sorry for talking to you about this but I didn't know who else I could talk to it about." The words rushed out her mouth. "I wanted to tell Nana first but I don't know how she'll react. I thought that maybe since you're close to her that you'd be able to help me tell her… I'm really sorry!" Tears streamed out of her eyes and her shoulders drooped in sadness. "I was thinking of aborting it at first but I couldn't do it. That would be killing my own flesh and blood and I'm too gutless to do it. I know I have no money and no means to support myself and my child, but I really do want to care for it.

I thought that just as long as I get to stay in this apartment and be with my friends that everything will work out. I still have that dowry from mom and if I work hard after the child is born, I don't mind living on the bare minimum just as long as I get to stay with Nana. All I want is… well… I don't want Nana to hate me," she finished in a small voice, hands clenched on top of the table.

It took Yasu a couple of minutes before he picked his jaw from the floor and covered her small hands with his. After several more seconds, his brain finally synchronized with his mouth again. "You don't need to apologize, Nana-chan." He patted them gently. "I did tell you that you could talk to me when you wanted to, right?" He waited for her nod before he continued. "So this was what was bothering you?"

She nodded once more, unable to meet his eyes. "How should I tell Nana?"

Yasu felt a sweatdrop coming. "Shouldn't you be worrying about telling the father first?"

Hachi waved his question away, "He told me I shouldn't tell him about annoying things like this and that I shouldn't tell him if I got pregnant. He doesn't care so I'm not worried about telling him."

"Takumi said that?" He frowned in displeasure. He was used to Takumi being a player, but this was going too far. What little respect he had for Takumi as a man flew out the window.

"How did you know it was Takumi's?"

Yasu definitely had a sweatdrop on his head. "Unless you slept with someone in the past month…"

Hachi's hair flew out in all directions as she fervently shook her head, "No, no, I didn't! It's Takumi's!" and then she laughed at her own silliness. "I guess everyone knows since he announced it to the world, huh?"

"Real men never kiss and tell."

"Heh, I guess…"

"If he's not going to marry you, you should still tell him and make him pay alimony at least," he insisted.

"That's an idea." Hachi's eyes were filled with tears, "But I have to tell Nana first!" She wailed, unable to hold back the tears. Between wailing and crying, she managed to tell Yasu about her worries.

It was hard to understand, but Yasu managed to decipher her fears as she spoke in a broken language. Sometime during her rant, he switched seats and sat by her side, allowing her to sob directly into his suit, soaking his front. He listened calmly, never interrupting, only giving appropriate answers as he allowed her to get it all out of her chest.

It was extremely therapeutic for Hachi to finally find a confidant after many weeks of keeping it to herself, so she didn't hold back. She told him everything – from beginning to end. Of how she talked to Takumi the day after the mahjong tournament, thinking it was fate that led them to be on Omotesandou that day; her walking along without any destination on mind and him being completely stopped by a traffic jam in Harajuku.

Yasu couldn't contain his sweatdrop at how she described her fairytale night with her prince and he couldn't contain his disdain for Takumi at the same time, taking advantage of Nana-chan like that.

She poured out her heart, telling him how confused she was of the feelings she developed for Nobu then, before Takumi came to the picture again after weeks of hearing nothing from him.

Yasu sighed, wishing she could've just fallen for Nobu without getting involved with Takumi. He also felt bad for Nobu when she said that she didn't plan to get involved with anybody from now on and will only dedicate her life to raising her child.

Next she told him about her third meeting with Takumi, and he wanted to laugh at how she looked at it as her taking advantage of Takumi. Nana-chan was such an innocent.

She told him everything, including her plans on how to raise her child. After she calmed down some, he handed her a handkerchief to dry her tears. Her plan wasn't fool proof, but it was a start. Nana-chan was acting more mature than she normally would, in his opinion.

"So I don't really have to tell him since he made it clear from the beginning what he wants with me," Hachi explained to him. "I'm doing him a favor by not adding to his current worries."

"You should still tell him. He's bound to find out anyway," he insisted. "Ren might mention it to him one way or another. And if Ren invites him over for a party in the future, wouldn't he notice that you're pregnant or that you have a little kid running around the house?"

Hachi's brows furrowed in thought. "I guess…" she shrugged, "If he finds out that way then I'm telling him, but that doesn't matter to me either way. More importantly, Yasu, what am I going to tell Nana? What if she gets mad at me and kicks me out! I don't know what I'd do then!"

She looked like she was going to start wailing again, so he hurried to pacify her. "I'm sure she'll understand, don't worry, okay?"

She wasn't convinced.

"If you want, I could sit with you when you tell her. How about that?"

Hachi's face lit up in glee. "Really! You'll do it with me? If you're there, I'm sure Nana won't get mad… or if she will, you can talk her out of it and…" she rambled on and on about his good points, making him feel like he had super powers.

"I'll be there, don't worry," he patted her head affectionately. It was hard being a father. "And we have to tell the others as well," he added. "We'll tell Nana first and then Shin and Nobu." He wondered how Nobu would take it. He seemed pretty down after getting rejected… better yet, he wondered how Shin would take it. Shin seemed very attached to Nana-chan, almost like a child to its mother. He heard how the boy threw his drink on Takumi… "Or we should tell Shin first."

He felt like he should be more worried for Takumi's health and well-being somewhat, but he couldn't find any sympathy for the guy just now.

"Staying in an apartment with no elevator will be hard for you," he frowned in concern.

"But I don't want to move," she whined.

"You could move in with me or go home to your parents until after the baby is born. It'd be easier that way. Otherwise, you should try not to go up and down the stairs so much," he advised.

Hachi nodded, but looked a little troubled. "But…"

"Would you like to stay at my place? My apartment complex has an elevator." Yasu thought for a moment. "Nobu's, too. You could probably stay at Nobu's if we ask him."

"I don't want to!" Hachi wailed. "I wanna stay with Nana!"

Yasu smiled. "Hai, hai. We'll think of ways to keep you from going up and down those stairs." One thing kept nagging at him though. "We should call Shin and tell him tonight," he voiced out, determined to get at least that out of the way as soon as possible.

**--7♥8--**

"Abort it," Shin said without preamble. He rushed to Apartment 707 right after Yasu called him using his serious tone of voice. He had to cut his session short with Reira but he was intrigued by why Yas-san would call him with an underlying urgency in his request.

He was a little irritated since Reira was beautiful enough to look like Ryouko-san, but he felt those familiar stirrings of, dare he say it, familial feelings, so he put his clothes back on and came.

Family was as foreign a concept to him as love, but ever since he answered that childishly-drawn ad in front of a vintage store, it became more and more common to him.

Nobu was like the brother he never had. Although the guy was older than him, he felt like he was more experienced in some aspects of life, like women for example. They gave each other advices, and although they didn't necessarily have to follow each other's words, it's the thought that counts.

Nana was like the scary older sister who wasn't afraid to beat the living daylights out of him; that or another brother who was hiding inside a sister's body. Nana's the scariest woman he's ever known in his whole fifteen years of life.

Yasu was like his father. The skinhead was far too wise for his age and was the embodiment of cool. His fake father, the one who didn't really care about him because he was a product from his mother's affair with some unknown man, was nothing like Yasu. If he were able to choose his father when he got reincarnated in the next life, he would certainly pick Yasu.

Hachi, for all intents and purposes, was what he wished his mother was like. He may treat and claim her to be as his dog, like Nana did, but in his heart, he secretly imagined that she was his mother and he was her son. Every kind word and comforting caress that came from her were the only things that could ever come close to motherly love that he could imagine.

All the women he knew were either after him for his body or his heart. Everything they did or said had an underlying goal to get either or both. Nana, in his mind, technically wasn't a full woman (and she's scary), so she didn't count.

Hachi was different.

Hachi was the one who literally picked him off the streets and gave him a new reason for living. As corny or clichéd that sounded, it was the truth. Before Hachi, he lived wandering the streets for women who had use for his body because he had nothing else to do. Nothing except money was important and sex was just a sport. Women older than him looked like they enjoyed being with a 'bishounen', so he took advantage of that, seeing it as a way to escape his hated not-father's clutches.

He didn't care if he lived or died the next day. Nobody was going to notice it anyway.

He never had any friends before that either. The whispers and nasty comments about being a bastard child with an unknown man was a cloud that rained on his prospects for friendship, if he ever had any. Nobody cared about him and he was used to that.

But that was before Hachi.

Hachi made him feel wanted and appreciated without expecting anything back. She would give him hugs, kind words and made sure he ate right without hidden motives. Hachi did it because she wanted to and it made him feel good. It made him feel… loved. Unconditionally.

He didn't like to see her sad or hurt and he didn't like it when people badmouthed her. Like Takumi did at that party. When that guy casually blurted out what he did so casually, tainting Hachi's reputation he snapped. If Nobu hadn't grabbed Takumi's shirt, he would've punched the guy on the face. Nobu's interference gave him time to get a small hold on himself enough not to kill the guy on spot. He would have much rather preferred to shove the glass he was holding down Takumi's throat but he opted to throw the drink at his face instead before walking out.

He never understood Nana and Nobu's obsession about being better than Trapnest before but he understood then that night. He too wanted to do better than Trapnest after that incident.

He still respected Honjou Ren, but that was it. Screw Trapnest, especially Takumi. Ichinose Takumi was made of the lowest scum on earth. How dare he treat Hachi like she was some kind of toy! Hachi was theirs. Hachi belonged to Blast. Hachi was his. Hachi was the only mother figure he ever had.

How dare he lay a hand on her and brag about it afterwards as if it were nothing. One day, he promised to himself, that bastard would pay.

He didn't like it that Hachi was attached to the guy. He had an uneasy feeling when he saw Hachi cry on their first meeting and he should have been on full guard then, but he attributed that uneasy feeling to the fact that his mama was crying. He didn't like to see her cry, even if they were tears of joy. He only wanted his mom to live healthy and be happy.

Did she think of him as her child, too? Or was it just a one-sided love? If she goes through with the pregnancy and once the baby is born, Hachi wouldn't have time for him anymore and he couldn't be her child anymore. Selfishly, he wanted to keep Hachi for himself. He wanted to be the only child in her life.

"Abort it," he said a second time, clenching his fists. What he would give for a good smoke right now, but Yas-san told him not to because it would affect the baby. Well who cares about the baby if it was just going to be aborted anyway? He certainly didn't! It was going to take his place in Hachi's heart and then where would he be?

"That's no longer an option, Shin." Yasu reminded him. "Nana-chan has decided to keep it and I'm supporting her decision. As a friend, I'll do everything I can to help her. You should do the same," he gently scolded. He couldn't figure out what was wrong with the boy.

He heard what happened in Trapnest's end of tour after-party. Was he still mad at Takumi? Did he hate Takumi? If he did, does that hate extend to the bassist's unborn child?

The reason why he called Shin to the apartment tonight before Nana was because he was concerned for the boy. Nana would be mad for sure. He expected her to go into a murderous rage and kill Takumi, if given the chance, but he was used to dealing with Nana and her moods. In the end, he believed that Nana will calm down for Hachi's sake and come to the same conclusion as him. He had no doubt about that.

Nobu would be devastated. That boy was terribly smitten with Nana-chan and this blow will hurt him for sure. But, he'll get over it. Yasu was confident that he'll reach the same conclusion as Nana. As soon as Nana calmed down, he was sure that it was going to be time to calm Nobu down and keep him from hunting Takumi down and skinning him alive.

He couldn't do it anyway. Takumi would kill Nobu in a real fight, but still…

The one thing that worried him the most, perhaps, because he couldn't correctly predict the outcome was Shin's reaction. How was Shin going to react? Shin was a little unpredictable because they haven't known him for that long and he was hard to read. He tended to be very secretive. All of them still feared that he would kill himself one day that's why they all kept a close eye on him.

Shin was close to Nana-chan. If he were to make a guess, he would wager that Shin saw Nana-chan as his mother. She certainly cared for him like she was, so it wasn't a far-off supposition. Nana-chan fussed over the teenager like a mother hen and Shin basked in her cuddles like a little chick in need of warmth. It was cute.

"But the father doesn't want it and it's not going to be healthy for the child."

"But her mother loves her and that'd be enough, wouldn't it?" Hachi smiled at him. He looked so upset that she wanted to take him in her arms and hug him, telling him that everything would be okay. It was a silly notion, since he wasn't the one who got pregnant with someone who didn't want the responsibility of having a baby, but she didn't like to see him so distressed.

It warmed her heart at the same time though, to see her Shin-chan worry for her. To her, Shin was her baby and even though she was pregnant right now, Shin was her unspoken first born.

"You don't have any money and what are you going to when the child is born? And before that, how are you going to survive in an apartment complex that has no elevator? That's bad for you!" Shin stared at the tabletop hard enough to melt it.

"I'll find a way somehow," Hachi assured him. She had a sense of déjà vu in the conversation she was having with Shin, since he was pointing out the same concerns she and Yasu had earlier. She had to hide a smile; Shin-chan was more mature than she credited him for.

Her smile quickly changed into a queasy look as her nausea took over. She had to push Yasu out of the way before rushing to the toilet in time. He was surprised by the rude action but quickly understood what was going on when he heard retching sounds. All the color drained from Shin's face as they sat rooted to the chairs. They wanted to help but were too unequipped and inexperienced.

When they heard nothing but dry heaves, Yasu snapped into action. "I'll make some fresh tea while you go see what she needs."

Shin nodded mechanically and went to the toilet, wincing. Hachi sounded like she was dying. A sense of fear crept inside of him and it magnified when he saw her petite form hunched over the toilet bowl. He grabbed a towel nearby and approached her, hunching down behind her to rub her back soothingly. He didn't know what else to do.

"Do you need anything?"

She shook her head flushed the toilet. Gently grabbing a hand, he helped her stand up and walk over to the sink to wash. He silently passed her the towel, feeling more and more helpless as the seconds ticked away. "I don't like this," he finally spoke up. "You sound like you're dying when you throw up. Have you been throwing up a lot?"

"It's morning sickness. I threw up on my part-time job making curry before, the smell overwhelmed my senses," she nodded. "Don't worry, it's normal."

His frown deepened, not liking what he was hearing. "Normal? Is being pregnant sort of like having a disease?"

She laughed, "Between the morning sickness, fatigue, backache and numerous other things, you could say that."

"It's not funny," he muttered as he guided her back to the dining table. Yasu had some saltine crackers and hot tea prepared.

"I couldn't find any grapefruit juice or aerated water. I hope the tea's okay, Nana-chan."

"Thanks, Yasu." She had no complaints as she nibbled on the crackers to settle her stomach.

Shin watched her eat with a hard glare. "So you're not going to abort it?"

"Shin!"

"It's okay, Yasu." Hachi patted the lawyer's sleeve, "No, I want to keep it."

"Are you going to go home to your parents to raise it in the country?" His knuckles turned white from the force he used to clench his hand; his gut churned at the possibility. She wasn't really his surrogate mom so she wouldn't hesitate to leave him behind. He really shouldn't care so much about it.

"No, if possible, I would like to stay here and raise it by myself."

Boyish eyes flew to meet hers hopefully. _You're not leaving me?_ He wanted to ask but didn't dare to. "Why?" Yasu and Hachi gave him inquiring looks. "Why are you going to keep it? Its father doesn't want it and you're better off without it, it'll only complicate your life. It's not going to grow up having a normal family life and who knows how that'll affect the child. You should just abort it before it grows up to be unwanted."

Yasu sucked in his breath. "Shin, that's a little—"

Hachi reached out to grasp his hand over the table. "I know I'm not perfect, and I don't think I'll be the perfect mother, but I'll love her with all my heart and hope that that's going to be enough. I'm not going to be able to provide well for it, but I'll work hard. It may sound stupid on my part but I'll get by, I'm sure of it."

Shin remained silent but he was gripping her hand, too.

"If I'm dire need of money, I know it's not right but if it's for the child I could probably ask my parents for some help."

"Or you can ask Takumi to pay alimony," Yasu reminded.

"It's not fair," the teenager whispered quietly.

"What's not fair?" Yasu asked.

"How can Hachi be so optimistic about this?" Shin raised his eyes to meet Hachi's. "You're not just saying this, are you? You're not planning to kill yourself once the child is born, are you? You're not going to leave it to be raised by others, are you?"

Hachi wasn't offended by his words, but she was appalled at the sudden realization. "Shin… did… did your mom do that to you?" He attempted to wrench his hand away from hers but she held tight, adding her other hand to the grip.

"The woman who gave birth to me cared enough to give birth to me before killing herself." He said in a deadened voice. "I think she either thought she was doing me a favor by giving me a chance at life or was too chicken to kill another human being besides herself."

"Shin-chan…"

"She should've just done me a favor and took me with her."

"Don't say that!" Hachi shouted, surprising both men. She was surprised by her outburst as well. "Sorry, I meant to say that – I'm glad Shin's mom decided to give birth to Shin—"

"She's not my mother."

"Well I'm thankful she didn't take you with her either way," Hachi said authoritatively. "If she did, then I wouldn't have such a handsome son right now."

Yasu had to hide the smile that threatened to creep on his face from Shin's reaction to Nana-chan's words. For a whole second, he looked as pleased as a pie before he put his mask back on and stuck his nose in the air. "I wish I really were Hachi's child. But soon you won't need a son like me anymore. You'll have a new baby and you'll forget all about me."

"Never!" Hachi vehemently denied, unwittingly alleviating some of the boy's fears. She thought Shin was just joking, but she took it seriously nonetheless. "My Shin-chan will always be my first born. Isn't that right, Yasu?"

"Mhm," Yasu agreed, finally expelling a relieved breath. Taking care of his child and siblings was hard work; it was mentally and physically exhausting.

"So you're not going to turn me back in once you get a newer model?" Shin made it sound like a joke but he was actually waiting in baited breath for her answer.

"You make it sound like I'm getting a new car and abandoning my old one for it," she commented dryly. She sighed dramatically as she pushed her tea cup away and climbed on the tabletop.

"Be careful!" Yasu predictably placed an arm to balance her; afraid she'll fall down and hurt herself.

Hachi ignored him for now and crawled over to Shin until they were face to face. "I'm afraid you're stuck with me for life, Shin-chan. You can choose your friends but you can't choose your family, you know."

They were just words but they gave him the assurance that he needed. He surprised both adults again when he wrapped his arms around Hachi, giving her a hug. She hugged him back, and Yasu thought they looked like a perfect picture of a mother and son.

"Does that mean I can't choose my father?" Shin asked when their hug ended. He helped her get off the table top as gently as possible and helped her settle on the seat beside him.

"Well, I suppose I'd have to have your approval first before I get a husband. I wouldn't want my husband to not get along with my kids."

He smiled brightly. "Then I choose Yas-san to be my dad!" A feminine laugh was followed by a masculine laugh, making Shin pout. "I wasn't kidding."

They didn't think he was serious.

"Is Takumi going to pay alimony? You should at least make him pay alimony. Yeah, that's what you should do. You should make Takumi pay alimony and milk him for all he's worth. Serves him right," his voice dropped to a mumble as he complained about Takumi's carelessness.

"He doesn't know yet."

"What?" He managed to hold his temper back. "Even if he said he doesn't want to do anything with you if you get pregnant, you should still tell him." Fingers played with a cigarette absentmindedly. The urge to smoke one was hard enough to give him a stomachache but he refrained because it wasn't going to be healthy for the baby. "I'd like a baby sister, a baby sister who grows up beautifully," he grinned.

"You can't have sexual relations with your sister, Shin." Hachi told him firmly. "Your mom will be upset."

Yasu laughed.

"If you stay here, aren't you going to have a hard time climbing the steps? There's no elevator."

"I asked her the same thing," Yasu interjected.

"I wanna stay with Nana," Hachi insisted. "I don't care if I can't leave the apartment for days, I shouldn't be spending money anyway and going out will just make me spend, so I'll stay here and only go out when it's really necessary."

Shin frowned at this but relented anyway. Hachi was terribly attached to Nana and vice versa. "If you want, you can call me when and I'll do errands for you. I live near so it's not going to be a problem at all," he offered humbly, a little embarrassed.

"That's a great idea, Shin," Yasu agreed. "Once Nana-chan's stomach gets big, one of us could stay here just in case. We could do it in rotation. You could take one week or several days and I could take the next. I'm sure Nobu wouldn't mind doing that, too." He was already mentally planning the arrangements.

"No way! Shin-chan and Yasu have their own lives to live, too. I'll be fine on my own and besides, as long as I have Nana with me, everything's going to be fine. I don't want to be a bother to you. Knowing that you don't hate me for letting this happen is enough."

"You don't want me to run errands for you or stay over?" Shin's eyes watered. "Whenever I stay here, I feel more comfortable. Hachi's bed is really soft while Nobu lets me sleep on the floor. It's not very comfortable and it hurts my back. He even steps on me sometimes," stylized manga tears flooded down his cheeks.

Hachi was moved by his words. "You can sleep on my soft bed anytime, Shin-chan! Mama doesn't want you sleeping on a cold, hard floor! I'll even sing you a lullaby each night if you want."

"So, are you saying that I should move here for the meantime or at least the baby is born?" Shin joked.

"Actually, that's not a bad idea."

Shin's playful mode vanished in an instant, curiosity and confusion replacing it. "Eh?"

"I think that you should stay here until Nana-chan gives birth," Yasu clarified for the teenager. "Once we explain the situation to Nana, I'm sure she'll see the merit in it. Constantly going up and down seven flights of stairs is not healthy for a pregnant woman. I don't want to be pessimistic," he knocked on wood, "but the stress might cause her to miscarriage."

"The Demon King might want that!" Hachi gasped.

"If you stay here, you can accompany her on her trips up and down the stairs to make sure she doesn't fall, and once her tummy becomes too heavy or too big, you can do the shopping if I or Nobu aren't available."

Hachi frowned. "You make it sound like Shin-chan's going to be my errand boy. I don't like it. I don't want to monopolize Shin-chan's time. I'm sure he has other stuff to do aside from babysitting me."

"I wouldn't mind doing that," Shin quietly replied. If it was for his surrogate mom, he certainly didn't mind. Playing errand boy to the caring soul who picked him up from the streets and convinced a band to let him join without knowing his full background was never going to be enough to repay her but it was at least something. "Unless of course, you don't want me to. If you don't like being around me so much, you don't have to force yourself," he huffed.

"Of course I like being with my Shin-chan!"

"Then it's decided!"

"Eh?"

"If Nana doesn't mind, Shin will stay here indefinitely." Yasu continued, ignoring Hachi's outburst. "We can get you a futon or something…"

"Hachi's bed is softer!" He wailed.

"Eh?"

"And we should tell Nana as soon as possible."

"Eh?"

"We could tell her together with Nobu," Shin suggested.

Yasu nodded, "I agree."

"Eh?"

The two men ignored Hachi's eh-ing and discussed the details more. Hachi's bedroom was big enough to accommodate a futon and if Shin wanted, he could sleep on Hachi's bed like he normally did or outside, in the dining room. Inside Hachi's bedroom was the best choice, and none of them were concerned about Shin doing anything because he didn't view his surrogate mom in any sexual way anyway.

Shin seemed like he looked forward to becoming the man in the 707 apartment and was even enthusiastically falling into big brother mode. He claimed how he wanted to have a little sister again, but also said that he wouldn't mind having a little brother. If he had a little brother, he said, he could teach his little brothers a lot of tricks as soon as he came of age.

Hachi snapped out of her stupor then, and scolded Shin, telling him not to corrupt his sibling. He put on his innocent face of course, and claimed to be totally innocent. In his mind though, he was already calculating how he could get more clients and more money. Hachi and his new sibling were going to need money for sure; he wanted to make sure that he could provide some of it. Heh, he suddenly felt like he had a purpose. He was going to have to keep his 'activities' from his surrogate mom because she didn't approve of them, but it was the only way he knew how to earn money for now. _I just won't tell her so she won't get upset. What she doesn't know won't hurt her._

Yasu was also concerned about the financial situation and gently asked about it. Hachi told him about the dowry her mother sent and he calculated it would do just as long as she didn't splurge or spend so much. She told them she'd get a job, which was negatively received by the two males.

Yasu jokingly mentioned again how they should tell Takumi and make him pay alimony. Shin's reaction was more serious and his face darkened at the mention of Takumi's name.

"We should tell him, demand a high amount for alimony and use it to live in a mansion!" Hachi laughed at that, but Yasu sweatdropped, knowing how serious Shin was when he said that statement. "That bastard should take responsibility!"

Takumi made his blood boil.

_Ding Dong_

"Who is it?" Shin demanded, taking his frustration on Takumi towards the late-night visitor. Nana was with Ren and Nobu had work. Who could it be -- a newspaper salesman? The caller didn't answer so he stomped over to the door and jerked it open. "What do you want?" he asked in a rudely loud, irritated voice before he saw who it was. His complexion quickly turned into an angry red when he did.

He was rather surprised by the over-zealous welcome, but he managed to keep a straight face. "Is Nana here?" Takumi asked as he faced Shin, totally oblivious to the deadly aura enveloping the boy.

**--7♥8--**


	2. The Plan

**Disclaimer: **Nana and its characters belong to Yazawa Ai.

—**7♥8—**

"You!" Shin angrily spat at the man, eyes blazing. Speak of the devil and the devil appears.

Takumi didn't recognize the silent rage and aggression in the boy's profile. It was nothing new to him; the boy looked the same as that night during Trapnest's staff party. Maybe he was still sore about that. God knows he was. The little brat threw his drink at him, the bastard. Looking past him, he spotted Nana and… "Yasu! I didn't expect to see you here!"

"I could say the same thing about you…" Yasu muttered.

Hachi was frozen in her seat. She quickly averted her eyes when his gaze swept towards her vicinity, unwilling to look at him. Why was he here? What was he doing here? Did he think that he could get into bed with her after not contacting her for so long again? Her spirits sunk. So he really did see her as just an opportunity girl to him after all… maybe none of his other regular girls were available, that's why he came here…

"Long time no see," he walked past Shin, brushing him off as if he were nothing more than a fly on the wall.

… Or maybe he was just looking for Yasu.

Shin slammed the door shut forcefully and rushed to beat Takumi to the table by the window. He sat beside Hachi, looking like an angry sentry. "Why are you here?"

"I was in the neighborhood and decided to pay a visit." Yasu scooted over closer to the window, facing Hachi, to make room for Takumi. Trapnest's bassist kept stealing looks at his girl, wondering why she hasn't spared him a glance since his arrival. Wasn't she glad to see him?

"Oh really?" Shin pasted on a fake smile, "Then visit's over. Thank you for coming, don't let the door hit you on your way out."

You could almost see Takumi's thought bubble with squiggly lines to indicate his displeasure from Shin's non-existent hospitality.

"Shin," Yasu was a little concerned with the animosity that the teenager was showing "why don't you help Nana-chan make some tea?" He turned to Takumi, "Or would you like some beer?"

"There's no beer in the fridge," Shin wasn't really sure about that but he said it anyway.

"Tea is fine."

Shin glared at Takumi for a few seconds more before he dragged his feet to the kitchen to help Hachi. She looked a little unsettled, so he gently grasped her arm to help her up her feet and placed a gentle hand behind her back in case she collapsed or something.

Hachi's legs were shaking, and she was grateful for Shin's hand on her back. It wasn't enough to shield her from Takumi's gaze, if he was looking at her, which she doubted he'd do since she wasn't worthy of such attention from him, but it gave her legs enough strength for now.

Takumi's eyes narrowed a fraction at Shin's gesture. The boy was getting too familiar with his girlfriend. He didn't like it. Yasu didn't notice; he was thinking of how to get rid of Takumi as soon as possible.

"Don't you have some recordings to do, Takumi?"

Trapnest's bassist pulled out his cigarettes and lighter from his pocket. "We have a three-day break," he lit the lighter but was stopped from lighting his cigarette by Blast's drummer.

"Uh…" Yasu silently cursed himself. When he saw the cigarette, he just acted out of instinct. "Nana doesn't want people smoking inside the apartment anymore."

Takumi raised a brow. "What for?"

"She's trying to improve her singing voice."

"But she's not here right now, is she? What she doesn't know won't hurt her," he raised the lighter again.

Yasu yanked the lighter out of Takumi's grasp. "But when she comes home, she'll be able to tell that someone's been smoking in here and Nana-chan doesn't smoke, so she'll think it was us." Hopefully, Takumi didn't know that Nana was staying with Ren right now.

"So?"

"So?" Shin asked from where he stood near Hachi in the counter. "So that means that **_we_** are the ones who are going to have to take responsibility for **_your_** actions. Before you do something, you should think about the consequences first!" The double meaning in his words was lost on Takumi.

Takumi sighed, placing his paraphernalia back in his pocket. "I've never known of any band that catered to their lead singer's whims so much. Are you scared of her that much? Or is it love? You value your lead vocalist enough to sacrifice smoking in her apartment even when she's not around?"

"Oh?" Shin crossed his arms together. "What about you? Don't _you_ cater to your Reira and her whims, too? After all, she is _your_ princess, isn't she?" He knew a lot about the history of Trapnest together and was suspicious of Takumi. While it was obvious and known where Reira's feelings lay, Takumi's true feelings were unknown to him. He could only speculate but now, more than ever, he had to know the truth in order to protect something important. "Your precious princess that you have to protect from everyone," he sneered. "You love her too, don't you?"

Hachi almost dropped the kettle from Shin's brazen questions. Was what he was saying true? Takumi was in love with Reira? She didn't have the strength to turn around, so she waited with bated breath for his answer. If he was in love with Reira, then she had no chance -- never stood a chance. She should give up now, like she gave up on making Yasu her boyfriend. She knew she could never compete with the likes of Reira.

Takumi's brows furrowed to the point of irritation. What was this kid talking about? Did he want to stir up trouble? He could tell from Nana's rigid posture that the conversation was upsetting her and he didn't like that. She might start believing Shin's untrue presumptions. "How did the conversation turn from my smoking to Reira?"

He looked to Yasu for answer but found none. "Not that I'm obliged to answer you, boy, but my love for Reira is that of a brother to a sister. You can ask Yasu if you don't believe me. Not that I care what you believe in anyway," he silently sent Nana mental suggestions to turn around and look at him, but she remained facing the other way. Her shunning of him was adding fuel to his irritation. It also proved that he had little to no psychic abilities.

"Sure," Shin waved off Takumi's reply as a lie, "that's what guys always say. I do that too. You should be more honest about your feelings. It only gets people hurt when you lie. All of us already know that the one Reira truly loves is you. Surely you have to reciprocate your princess' feelings of love. She's _your_ princess, after all."

"You keep saying she's MY princess like she's mine and nobody else's. She _is_ our princess; she's the band's princess. Without her, the band, as a vehicle, wouldn't be able to work because she's the engine. I don't think that's any of your business," he didn't bother to hide the sharpness of his tone "but to satisfy your curiosity, _no_, I am not in love with Reira. What she does or how she feels concerning her love life is no concern to me as long as she doesn't jeopardize the band."

"I wonder how much of what you're saying is actually true and how much of it you believe or just convinced yourself is true."

"What the hell –"

"Tea's ready," Hachi ignored Takumi's outburst. Shin brought the cup over to Takumi and dropped it in front of him carelessly, spilling some of the liquid unto the platter, almost hitting Takumi in the process.

"What the fu—"

"Shin, why don't you help Nana-chan with that thing inside her bedroom?" Yasu was doubtful a confrontation between the two could be avoided if they stayed in the same room together any longer. "Why don't you go along and help her with it for a little bit?"

Shin's brows wrinkled. "What're you—"

Hachi guessed what Yasu was up to. "Ah yes, Shin-chan, you promised to help me, didn't you? It'll only be a second, I promise not to take any more of your time." With some prodding, she managed to push him into her room.

As he watched his girlfriend go inside her bedroom with the boy, he decided that he hated that kid now more than ever. "Why is Nana hanging out with that kid? What are they going to do in her bedroom?" Perhaps there was a bit more bite to his voice when he pronounced the last word, but he couldn't help it.

"Nana-chan is asking Shin change the light-bulb in her room," was all Yasu could think of for the moment. "Even more important, don't you have some place to go, work to do or woman to be with right now, Takumi? What are you doing here?"

Takumi flicked his hair over his shoulder. The gesture was of feminine nature but it looked totally masculine on him. "I was going to ask you the same question."

—**7♥8—**

"We should go back outside and tell him!" Shin whispered furiously, pacing a path inside Hachi's room. "Then we can push him down the stairs and hope he breaks his neck in the descent," an evil grin moved the chain connecting his earring to his lip piercing.

"No killing, Shin-chan! Don't fall into the trap of the Demon King!"

Shin sighed, getting back to reality. "We should stay here and wait until he leaves. I'm sure Yas-san will get rid of him in a minute or two." He blanched, noticing the poster on her wall. "You still have that up?"

Hachi had the sense to look embarrassed. "I still like Trapnest," she said defensively.

"I guess… Reira and Ren are cool. Naoki seems cool too even if I don't know him that well… I met him after their tour and that was it but I didn't get a bad vibe from him." Shin relented, then grinned, picked up a post-it pad on Hachi's desk and slapped several post-its on the poster. He was satisfied when he finished covering Takumi's picture.

Hachi laughed, she couldn't help it. The Trapnest poster on her wall now only had Naoki, Ren and Reira visible. Naoki stood beside Ren, then Reira who had her hand to his chest. Beside Reira was nothing but a bunch of post-it notes.

Shin grinned some more, happy with his work. "_Now_ I like it!" He gave her a thumbs-up. "I'm such a genius!"

Hachi sat on her bed, running her hand on her soft comforter, thoughtful. "I wonder why he's here?" She gasped. "Do you think he came here to see me? Maybe he wants to make up with me?"

Shin gave his surrogate mom a sardonic look, "Do you honestly believe that he came here for that?"

Whatever burgeoning hope bloomed in her heart was crushed in an instant. She forced a laugh, "Me and my delusions."

"That's what makes mama so cute!" He turned the TV on and took off his shoes before he made himself comfortable on the bed. "Mama's bed is so soft," he sighed as he burrowed a Shin-shaped hole into it. "I think I could get used to this."

Hachi settled herself under the covers. "Be careful or else you'll turn into a big mama's boy," she joked as she watched television with him until her eyes became droopy.

Shin yawned and placed his hands behind his head. He felt so relaxed. The bed from Mizukoshi-san's store was really comfortable.

—**7♥8—**

Yasu's phone rang before he could answer Takumi's question. He was surprised to find out who it was.

"Yasu!!! Did you forget that we were supposed to meet tonight?!"

Yasu winced, he did forget. "I'm so sorry! I went to go a friend's place and forgot about the time. Then Takumi came and—"

"Takumi's there with you??! Where are you? Can I come?! Can I!? Can I?!"

Yasu told him the address.

"Hey, I'm really near there! I just need to take a right on the next street and I'll be there in five minutes."

"Great," Yasu replied, "We're on Apartment 707." He hung up and faced a curious Takumi.

"Busy night?"

"Guess so."

Trapnest's bassist kept giving the door to Hachi's room cursory looks that became more heated each time. Yasu felt more and more uncomfortable each minute and he pretended to be totally occupied with sipping his tea that had long cooled down. When he finished his cup, he poured some more and sat there as if nothing was wrong with the picture.

He attempted to talk casually with Takumi and tried to ignore the heated looks Trapnest's bassist kept throwing at Hachi's bedroom door.

"So how about the weather we're having huh?"

Takumi shrugged. "Nasty storm we had last time," he mumbled off-handedly, still keeping an eye on the door. How long does it take to change a light bulb?

"I remember that, it was during the fireworks festival too. We couldn't light up our firecrackers because they got wet that time."

Takumi didn't acknowledge that he heard what Yasu was talking about. The more Takumi looked towards Hachi's room, the more Yasu felt uncomfortable. He'd never been so glad when the doorbell rang.

_Ding Dong_

Yasu rushed towards the door and opened it in relief.

"Yasu! I brought some beer, snacks and a pair of cards. Oh hey Takumi!" He handed Yasu the beer and brought the snack over to the table by the window.

Takumi's face soured. "Naoki, what on earth are you doing here?"

"I was supposed to meet Yasu at his apartment but he never showed. He said I could come over so here I am. You hang out with Yasu on your free time too, Takumi?" Trapnest's good-looking blond drummer was all smiles and hearts. His night was getting better and better. Hanging out with Yasu _and_ Takumi was the best thing ever!

His eyes surveyed the apartment curiously. "Whose apartment is this? It looks really quaint and pretty on the outside but there's no elevator, man! Going up the stairs was quite a workout." He looked around appreciatively. "It's so… cute," he looked a little thoughtful, "and girly."

Yasu gave them each a beer and placed the remaining ones inside the fridge. Takumi noted that there were _a lot_ of beer stocked in the fridge and that the brat had lied to him about it earlier. He chalked one more up on the offenses the adolescent had done to him, quietly promising himself he'd make the brat pay.

"Does your girlfriend live here or something, Yasu?"

Blast's drummer shook his head. "No, but Ren's does and she has a roommate." He indicated which room was Ren's girlfriend's room and which Ren's girlfriend's roommate's room was.

"Speaking of which," Takumi bit out, "what _are_ they doing in there?" His smile was forced, his teeth gritted. Surely it didn't take this long to change one bloody light-bulb.

"I'll go… check," Yasu intended to go alone, but the two guys from Trapnest followed him. Takumi was dying of curiosity and something else while Naoki just followed Takumi's lead. He sighed before he knocked softly on the door. What _were_ those two doing?

"There are others here? Is this like a party and I wasn't invited?" Naoki questioned as Yasu opened the door to Hachi's room. He was always left out of the loop. In highschool and even until now, he felt like everyone didn't really hang out with him unless it was business-related.

Upon entering Hachi's room, the three men were greeted with a news report on TV and the occupants sound asleep on the bed. Both were still fully clothed, Hachi was under the covers and Shin was on top. The boy had his mouth slightly open and was snoring quietly. They had fallen asleep waiting for Yasu to make Takumi go away and had fallen to the lure of Mizukoshi-san's soft bed.

Yasu's eyes softened behind his shades upon seeing his two charges look so relaxed.

Naoki admired the cute furniture in the room until his sight landed on a poster of his band on the wall. "Do I really look like that?" He admired himself. He looked so shiny and handsome in the poster… and "Why is Takumi covered in post-its?"

All Takumi saw was Shin sleeping on his girlfriend's bed and red; lots and lots of angry red. Before he knew it, his temper clashed with the red and he acted out, grabbed Shin by the lapels of his shirt and threw him on the floor. No other male was allowed to sleep on Nana's bed except for him. No one.

Being dumped on the floor proved to be a wake-up call for Shin. His eyes opened in surprise to find an enraged Takumi held by Yasu standing over him from where he was sprawled on the floor. "Yas-san? What's going on?" How did he go from his mama's soft bed to the cold floor? Did mama kick him? Nobu did it a lot.

Takumi growled at him.

Hachi's slumber was disturbed by the forceful removal of Shin that shook the bed. She woke up slowly and the first thing that she saw made her think she was in another one of her celebrity-related dreams. "Naoki?" In her room? She gaped openly at the good-looking blond. Was it really him? The Naoki look-alike was gaping at something to her left, and her eyes widened at the sight.

"Let me go, Yasu!" Takumi snapped angrily. He wanted to beat the piss out of the snotty little cocky brat.

"Takumi get a hold of yourself!" Yasu reasoned with him.

"Takumi what's wrong with you?" Naoki finally found his voice.

"Is this a dream?"

Naoki smiled at the cutie, shaking his head. "I'm afraid it's not, my lady." His charming mode wasn't in full hundred percent, but his sparkly smile was enough to make Hachi a little dizzy.

Naoki was in her room. Sure, she was going to wake up any minute now, like she did with her Ren dream, but still… Naoki was so handsome in her dreams!

"She's not yours and don't call her that, Naoki."

Naoki's brow rose. "Possessive, aren't we, Takumi?"

"Shut up." He struggled, "Let me go, Yasu."

"Not until you promise not to kill my bassist, Takumi." Yasu barely avoided an elbow-fist combination.

Hachi gasped, finally realizing that this wasn't a dream. Yasu had his arms restrained against Takumi's shoulders for some reason, Shin was getting up from where he fell from on the floor, and "Naoki of Trapnest is really in my bedroom!?!?!"

Yasu sweatdropped. "I think there's a more pressing situation right now, don't you think so, Nana-chan?"

Hachi looked confused. "Why is… is Takumi mad?"

"They weren't doing anything, Takumi." Yasu said. "They were just sleeping. Shin does that a lot, this is normal for them to do. Don't place too much meaning into it or see it for more than it really is. You're overreacting."

"Just one punch, Yasu."

Shin snorted, grasping the situation. He was awakened from his soft slumber when he got acquainted with the cold floor. He found out who the jerk that did it was when he opened his eyes. "What's your problem, asshole?"

Takumi's right arm got loose from Yasu's grasp and planted a knuckle sandwich at the surprised Shin. The boy wasn't able to step back in time to avoid the hit. It connected sharply with his jaw and the force snapped his head back, causing him to stumble. He held on to the edge of the bed to keep his head from colliding with the wall.

"Shin-chan! Takumi what are you doing? STOP IT! Shin-chan, are you okay?" Hachi helped Shin stagger back to his feet and held him back when he went for Takumi.

Naoki stepped in between them and held his arms apart to keep the males away from each other. "I don't really understand what's going on here but stop it!" He respected Takumi, he was his leader; but on the other hand, he held no grudge against Shin and didn't wish to have his leader involved in a fist fight. It was bad for their band's image.

"Keep your hands off of my girlfriend, punk."

"Girlfriend?" Shin's question was echoed by Hachi and Naoki. "You have no right to call her that. You haven't called her in who knows how many weeks, and you don't treat her right. You're only using her. Don't call her your girlfriend, you're not a good enough man for her!" He spat.

"When did I become your girlfriend?" Hachi was confused. As far as she knew, they were just convenient fuck buddies.

"Takumi has a girlfriend?" Naoki scrutinized the girl. She was cute, too cute. She looked so innocent and sweet. She wasn't the type of girl he'd peg to be Takumi's girlfriend.

"You didn't ask me to be your girlfriend and you haven't even called me in weeks… and why are you picking on Shin-chan?!!" Her grip on Shin loosened, her stomach felt woozy. "I'm just a convenient…" her sentence trailed off. Startled, Naoki was pushed aside when she made a mad dash for the toilet.

The retching sounds were unmistakable, dousing Takumi's anger. He paled at the sound, it was as if she was puking her guts out. "Wha— what's wrong with her?" Ren mentioned she'd been sick…

"The sight of you makes her sick, so get the hell out of here."

"Shin!"

Shin didn't meet Yasu's eyes when he strode passed them and went to the toilet. Yasu led Takumi and Naoki back to the table, the former as meek as a lamb and both were pale at the sound of the girl's retching.

"Nana-chan isn't feeling well. Would you like to continue this somewhere else? I'm sure Shin will make sure she… Takumi, where are you going?"

He didn't stop until he entered the bathroom. There he found Shin helping Hachi stand up after she threw up to her stomach's content. "Have you been to the doctor?"

—**7♥8—**

"Get your free sample of Mocha Cola! A new drink that is sure to tease your taste buds!" Several really cute girls shouted in the bustling basement of a big, known Tokyo store. All were dressed with the same cute uniform: the body-hugging shirt had the product's name on the front and a short skirt. They are called Demonstrators and their job is to inform people of new products and encourage them to test it out.

Off to one side, in a shaded bench, a teenager with a lot of piercings snoozed quietly. Back at the Demonstrator stall, crowds came and went, trying out or ignoring the products that the cute girls were giving them for free.

When their manager allowed some of them to get a break while the others continued, one of the cute Demonstrators trotted up to the teenager snoozing out in public with a sample in hand.

"Get your free sample of Mocha Cola," she whispered directly into his ear, poking him awake in the process.

He jolted awake from his dream of performing in a live concert in the Tokyo Dome. "Cola what now?"

"Here, just try it." The sample cup thrust into his hand and he obediently took a sip from it.

His brows shot up in surprise. "Not bad," he nodded. "Is it break time? Your manager isn't going to get mad at you for slacking off again, is he? Or did you quit like I told you to this time?"

"I'm on my break and I'm not quitting as long as I can still go to work. When my stomach gets rounder, I won't be able to work as a Demonstrator anymore and I have nothing else to fall back on. Nobody wants to hire a pregnant woman who's going to go on a maternity leave soon after she gets hired, so I'm saving up right now."

"I told you not to worry about that," he emptied the contents and crumpled the sample cup in his hands, tossing it in the nearby trash can. "I'm not going to let my little sister starve," he grumbled.

"What about me?"

He scrutinized her in the corner of his eyes, "I dunno… you're pretty hard-headed and you don't listen to me even if I'm right… but I guess I'd have to take care of you too. Or just until my little sister's out and –" A hand rapped him at the side of the head. "Ow! I was kidding! I'm kidding!" He cowered away from his mom as he rubbed his abused head.   
"Stop taking child abuse lessons from Nana," he grumbled quietly.

This was the beginning of the Shin cycle.

For as long as she could still pass off as a slim-figured young woman in her twenties, Hachi decided she was going to continue demonstrating products to save as much money as she could. It really changed one's perspective if you were responsible of someone else's life, especially if that life was growing inside of you.

Whenever she went out to demonstrate, Shin would be found several meters away. It didn't matter if he had a client the night before or not, whenever his mom went out to demonstrate, he was always there.

"_Why are you doing this, Shin?" _He remembered Nobu asking him that question several weeks ago.

"_I'm doing it because Hachi is ours and I don't want to have Takumi take her away from us, Nobu-san."_

It was the honest to goodness truth. If Nobu didn't have the balls to keep Takumi away from taking Hachi, no one else was going to do it. Except Nana, of course, but Nana was a girl and his newly found family needed a strong man to protect them.

Breaking the news to Nana was easier than they anticipated. Hachi saying "Nana I'm pregnant" didn't send her into a fit of rage, burst into tears or hysteria -- only a few scenarios which Yasu steeled himself for.

Hachi, Shin and Yasu organized 'the event' under a mahjong drinking session at Apartment 707. Hachi, of course, wasn't allowed to drink alcohol. Yasu had the foresight to get her some grapefruit juice (a lot of it) to calm her queasy stomach, and stocked up on the saltine crackers. She prepared the food wearing a throw-up protector all the while. Neither Nobu nor Nana were suspicious about it, since it made sense to them for her to wear a face mask if she still suffered from her summer cold.

They eased into the telling of the big news. Hachi fed them good food first and Yasu plied them with alcohol. Shin was the one who reminded Nobu of the no smoking policy, telling him that smoking wasn't good for Nana's singing voice. Secretly, he didn't want anyone to smoke because it would be unhealthy for the baby, but he refrained from saying it.

Great food, fun company, a good game of mahjong and a light buzz from the alcohol slowed Nobu's brain process. Hachi's rejection of him, however gentle, after he sensed that their relationship was finally going to progress more than friendship, had hurt. Just seeing her made his chest hurt; it was like someone was squeezing his heart.

Nana turned into stone. Her voice, jaw and brain refused to cooperate with each other to form a reply to the surprising news. They all stood on pins and needles until their friend snapped back to reality and declared that she would be there for Hachi no matter what.

Or rather, "If you decide to tell Takumi, I won't stop you, even if I would prefer it if you didn't. I will always be your friend even if you want to be together with that player, but I can't guarantee that he will be faithful to you or if he has enough humanity in him to make you happy."

Hachi, Nobu and Yasu weren't sure how to reply to that, but Shin was full of confidence when he replied, "I'm glad we're on the same page on this one, Nana! Now, here's what I think we should do…"

That night, Hachi, Nobu and Yasu learned that you should be very afraid if Nana and Shin ever teamed up against you. They always knew in the back of their heads that Nana was a dangerous woman to be enemies with and that their little 'Shin-chan' was probably as unstable or probably more unstable than Nana was, but that night proved to them just how lucky they were to be on the positive end of both people's characters.

Hachi couldn't bring herself to break the two of her most precious person's hearts; Yasu was looking out for his friends' sanity; and Nobu was just plain scared to see the Nana-Shin combo first hand.

Takumi didn't stand a chance.

—**7♥8—**

Takumi was nursing a rather large and pounding headache.

Three weeks have passed since he almost beat the living crap out of the brat known as Shin, but he was still at a loss as to what the boy's relationship with his girlfriend was… or if Nana was still his girlfriend or not. In his mind, she still belonged to him, even if they haven't talked to each other for three weeks now. She needed time to cool off from whatever she was suffering from, and he had given her three weeks to calm herself.

It was difficult to maintain a relationship with someone who refused to take your calls though, and he wondered many times why he was doing this. What was it about her that drew him in and made him want more? Why did she occupy his mind whenever he wasn't busy?

He almost hated not being buried in piles of work. He almost hated having off days. He could only spend them working some more half of the time, and the other half was spent sleeping.

That was what he was supposed to be doing right now. Sleeping. But he wasn't. How could anyone expect him to sleep soundly when his mind was occupied with thoughts of Nana? Smiling Nana, laughing Nana, worried Nana, pouting Nana, Nana under him, Nana on top of him, Nana sleeping on her soft bed… with that brat Shin. Argh! Damn it! It wasn't working. Sleep was elusive for the troubled mind.

Sigh.

Is this what they call a broken heart? Is that it? No one he… cared about… dumped him before so this was all new to him. Or rather, was it Shin who dumped him?

"Hachi can't continue seeing you anymore, Takumi-san." The honorific sounded like an insult to his ears and the boy's posture was full of tension. He looked like he was ready to pounce on Takumi if he made the wrong move or said the wrong thing.

"Are you her spokesperson now?" His voice dripped with sarcasm.

"As you can clearly see, she is not feeling well. We would appreciate it if you don't return here anymore and stay as far away as possible from her from now on."

Naoki's stomach quivered in fear from Takumi's grin. "Kid you got some nerve to talk to me like that."

Shin stood guard over Hachi like a sentry as she washed her mouth in the sink. Yasu was by her side the instant she finished, a towel in hand. "Shin is right, Takumi." She finished wiping her face. "It's best if we don't see each other anymore."

-- was what happened.

He protested but he was outnumbered three to one and Naoki even helped them haul his ass away from the apartment. To save face, he pretended like he didn't really care about her and even managed to spit out a "Fine! Be that way. It was fun while it lasted anyway, see you around" before he jerked away from Naoki's grasp and stomped away with whatever was left with his pride.

'It's her loss!' was what he repeated to himself over and over again.

He didn't care.

There were lots of other women out there who would kill themselves or sell their mothers just to be with him. He was just temporarily insane to have considered anything more than a passing fling with her anyway. Yes, he had to convince himself that that was the truth.

—**7♥8—**

Takumi? Takumi who?

The father of Hachi's child was not Takumi and that's the end of the story. When the time comes when the child starts to question his or her parentage, they could just tell him or her that she was her father. There wasn't a law that states only males could be fathers now, could there?

And she was way better than Takumi anyway. Or if they really needed a male to be the 'father', Yasu, Shin or maybe even Nobu could do it. The child will not lack for any 'fathers' in her life, that was for sure. Ren could also be one of her fathers. Ren wanted children. Nana was willing to share Hachi's child with him. He just needed to understand that he was never to tell Takumi about the child. Ever. As long as he understood and his loyalty was with them and not Takumi, then he could be a father too.

Yes, everything was going to work out.

Money was not going to be a problem because they were going to go pro soon. She will make enough money to support her, Hachi and the baby three times over. Hachi didn't need Takumi. Hachi needed only her and no one else.

She wasn't a greedy person. Normally.

She knew how to share. She could share even those most precious to her. She shared Hachi with her band mates all the time. She could even share Hachi with Ren if he wished to.

But Takumi was not a band mate. Nor was he any Ren. Takumi was the enemy. She didn't share with enemies.

Hachi didn't need Takumi in her life. She was the only one whom Hachi truly needed.

"Takumi is very cunning. He is the kind of guy who will not hesitate to use all means possible to get rid of his competition and anyone who will get in his way. He will do everything and anything to get what he wants and still manage to look good in the end. He is not someone who is to be trifled with." Yasu's words still echoed in Nana's mind.

If Takumi was as invincible as Yasu painted him to be, then she was just the person to take him down. No one was going to take Hachi away. No one. Not even all-powerful, super perfect Takumi was a match for her.

"Nana, your grin is scaring me. What are you thinking about?" Ren shivered lightly from the maniacal look on his girlfriend's face. They were currently watching the credits roll from the recorded movie of Hachikou the dog. It was raining outside, adding to his melancholy about the beautiful story. He was just about to discuss it with his beloved when he noticed her expression.

"Hm? Nothing." She looked out the window. "What the— it's dark outside already? And it's raining?! Oh no! I have to go home! Hachi's home alone tonight because Shin has to work late." She scrambled to find her clothes and hastily put them back on.

"You're not staying over?" The displeasure he felt was apparent on his face. "You could stay here if you want," he offered. Lately, Nana has been spending less time with him.

"Sorry, I can't Ren. Shin can't be home until later and I don't want to leave Hachi alone." She apologized and put her socks back on.

"Hachi is a big girl. She doesn't need a babysitter." He felt like he was missing something. "You know, I thought that you would be able to spend more time sleeping over here since Shin moved in with you guys, but you've been spending less time with me instead. And furthermore, I noticed that you only allow yourself to sleep over when Shin is home." He didn't feel suspicious about Nana cheating on him or anything like that, but something was definitely up. "Are you hiding something from me?"

Nana's spine stiffened and her inner voice kicked in. _Ren can't know about Hachi's condition until I make sure that we have his full, two thousand and fifty percent loyalty. He must be loyal to us and us only. He cannot be allowed to breathe any of it to that Takumi._

Ren's eyes narrowed at Nana's forced laugh. "No, nothing is wrong. It's nothing, haha!" She thought she was doing a good job. Ren wasn't buying it, but he wasn't going to push her into telling him what it was either.

"It's raining! Ugh. Ren! Give me a ride back home!" Her coat and shoes came on in a matter of seconds.

"You're not staying over?" Ren pouted, clearly upset.

"Um…" Crap, she couldn't tell Ren. Not yet. "I need to go home tonight. Shin's not going to be home and Hachi is sick. Someone has to be there to watch over her and make sure she's alright."

Ren sighed. He had no way to win if the opponent was Hachi. "Okay, okay."

—**7♥8—**

Shin could still remember his most important mission that came straight from Nana.

"Listen Shin, I agree with everything that you just said but there is one thing that I wanted to talk to you about."

After the Super Secret Conference they just held, everyone was in agreement on the things and rules that Shin and Nana laid down. The promises they got from Yasu, Nobu and Hachi were as good as binding contracts signed with their own bloods. Nobu still looked hurt when they told him to go home, so Nana ordered Yasu to take him home. Yasu pointed out how it would be more fruitful if Shin was the one who took Nobu home, but Nana glared at him and told him she was going to have Shin run an errand for her at the convenience store.

She waited until she saw the dark silhouettes of Yasu and Nobu walking up the stairs towards the street beside the riverbank before she dropped her voice just above a whisper.

"We must prevent Takumi from knowing about Hachi's pregnancy as long as we can," she told him gravely in a dead serious voice. "You heard what Yasu said."

Shin nodded solemnly. Yes, he heard.

"Until such time that we can debut as professionals and have all the money we want to support Hachi, we must keep her away from that man. If we're not careful, that man could come and take Hachi away from us forever."

Yes, he heard. He also understood completely. And he'd be damned if he was just going to roll over and play dead while Takumi took his mother away from him.

The plan looked like it was going smoothly. The only missing part of the puzzle was for them to go pro. Once they went pro, they wouldn't have to worry about money so much. Their expenses would be covered, the baby's expenses would be seen to, and their futures would be secure.

He didn't want millions or billions of yen. He just wanted enough to support his family. Once they went pro, he wouldn't have to worry about Takumi taking his mama away anymore.

He no longer met up with various women. It was mostly thanks to Reira. When they first met, he didn't really expect her to pay him the one hundred thousand yen up front and told her so the next time they met, but she'd been insistent on giving him the amount each time.

Maybe it was her way of keeping him for herself exclusively, maybe not. It kept him 'exclusive' either way. Somewhat anyway. He could never deny Ryouko if she called. Correction, make that _almost _never.

There was one night when Ryouko was in the country for a spell and called him but he had to decline because Hachi was still having violent nausea. He didn't really think anything about his denial of the attractive flight attendant until two days later when his mama's nausea became somewhat bearable and she didn't look like she was going to keel over and die anymore.

His worry was so intense that by the time he called Ryouko to make it up to her, she was off for another flight later that day. She wasn't mad at him; things between them were never really clear, but even though they didn't make any commitments or promises between them, they always remained good to each other.

She probably thought he had a steady girlfriend and he frankly didn't really need to explain the situation to her; the less people who knew about what exactly was happening, the better – even if those people didn't know the persons involved. Ryouko was a strong, independent girl. She didn't need Shin to hold her hair for her while he rubbed her back as she vomited into the toilet.

He had to admit that he was relieved when his mama's violent retching phase passed. It was like a huge weight had been lifted from his stomach, literally. His appetite returned after not hearing his mom vomit five to infinite times a day anymore.

Yasu called it sympathy nausea.

He didn't know what that meant but he was glad it was over. He wouldn't have been so happy if he knew what was in store for him next though. Hachi had cravings next, and boy was he in for a rough ride.

—**7♥8—**

Kurata was not having a good day.

He'd been literally stalking Ren at his place for several days in a row now to no luck. 'Just one picture!' his boss said. Just one picture and he could go get himself some hot coffee, a warm shower and dry clothes. Right now, he was sitting with his back against the wall hidden behind some shrubbery and soaked to the bone. No, this was definitely not a good day.

What was the deal with his boss' fixation with Blast anyway? Why was he so obsessed on getting the dirtiest dirt about its members? Did he want to boost their career or trample on them? He didn't get it. Their magazine didn't focus mainly on one band. Sure Trapnest was the most popular band in Japan right now and if one of the members got involved in a scandal or rumor, it would be big, but the boss was so concerned about Ren _because_ of his connection to Nana. If his job wasn't on the line, he would say his boss had an unhealthy interest in Blast. How else would you explain sending your reporter to stake out Ren's apartment, come rain or shine, no matter what, until…

_Holy shit!_

He scrambled quickly to take quick successive shots of the couple huddled close together as they exited the building and got into the car.

_Bingo!_

Ren and Nana were sharing Ren's jacket as they braved the rain and they had huge smiles on their faces. Smiles that would be plastered all over tomorrow's magazine and headlines.

Finally!

His hard work finally paid off and he could finally he could go home and get that hot steaming cup of coffee.

—**7♥8—**

_Ding Dong_

"Shin-chan, wake up!!!" _Nudge._

_Ding Dong_

"Mmmm… five more minutes, mom." Eyes still closed and more than half-asleep, he burrowed further into the covers.

A hand shook him harder this time. "Wake up, Shin-chan! Wake up right now!"

_Ding Dong_

"Go get it, Shin!" _Stronger nudge._

"Mama, I just bought you bottled pickles and a tub of ice cream yesterday," his whine was almost inaudible. "And I didn't even forget the syrup."

_Ding Dong_

"Shin-chan?"

No response. He was out like a light, exhausted from the erratic sleeping patterns and bizarre times he had to run errands for his pregnant mom who was having weird cravings at odd hours of the night or early morning.

Really, really early morning.

_Ding Dong_

Hachi groaned.

"I'll be right there!" She called out to whoever was ringing the doorbell, frustrated that her precious sleep was being disturbed so early in the morning.

_Ding Dong_

_Ding Dong_

"Agh! Who could it be at this time of day? It's too early for visitors." No amount of shaking was enough to force Shin out of his comfortable position, it seemed. She sighed in defeat. She grabbed her matching robe and put it on. Despite throwing up a lot, she gained her weight back thanks to her odd cravings.

Her belly wasn't that big yet, but when she wore tight fitting clothes or clothes with fabric that clung to her skin, her pregnancy was more obvious. When she looked at the mirror each night, wearing her nightclothes, she felt like a fat whale getting fatter. Nightclothes didn't really matter though, so she didn't think she had to worry about buying nightclothes that would hide her bulging tummy or –

_Ding Dong_

_Ding Dong_

_Ding Dong_

_Ding Dong_

Hachi was annoyed in more ways than one.

_Ding Dong_

And the person pushing the doorbell like he or she owned it was going to get it from her. Tightening her nightclothes' sash around her belly, she angrily stomped over to the door and slammed it open. "What is it!!!" She screamed at the intruder, to hell with politeness.

"Osaki Nana and Ren from Trapnest are rumored to be an item. We are now in front of the home of Osaki Nana LIVE and an unknown pregnant woman has answered the door." An obvious reporter asked, thrusting a microphone in her face as several cameras and other reporters swarmed around her doorway. "Osaki Nana? Is Osaki Nana home right now?"

Hachi gaped openly at the camera before she gathered enough wits to retreat back into the safety of her home and slammed the door shut in the reporters' faces.

"What the heck was that?!" She asked nobody in particular and made sure the door was securely locked before she ran back to her room and switched the television on.

"— Stay tuned for any further developments, but for now let me turn you back to our correspondent back at the studio." The same reporter who ambushed her with the questions was on TV.

Her eyes bugged out. "SHINICHI WAKE UP RIGHT NOW!!!"

Across town, a bewildered Takumi jaw literally dropped, causing his lit cigarette to fall on his lap when he saw what was just broadcasted live on the television. He just went through several emotions in the span of two seconds.

_Surprise_ from turning on his TV and discovering his band mate's lovelife plastered all over the news was one.

_Irritation_ directed at Ren for not heeding his warnings about being careful with the paparazzi.

_Disgust_ for the way the media focused on Blast and how it seemed like they were promoting the band by using Ren and Trapnest as stepping stones.

A _headache_ also came as he thought of the best course of action they were supposed to do next, but all of it flew out the window when he saw a familiar face on his TV set.

Screw Ren and Nana's relationship turned into fodder for the media dogs – _**his** Nana was pregnant_?! When the hell did _that_ happen!!!?!!!


End file.
